Jacques Audiard’s ambitious musical Emilia Pérezentered the 97th Academy Awards as a frontrunner with 13 nominations, setting a record for a non-English-language film.
However, the film walked away with just two wins: Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña and Best Original Song for El Mal.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the campaign suffered a major blow after resurfaced racist and anti-Muslim tweets from star Karla Sofía Gascón led to backlash, derailing its Oscar prospects.
Meanwhile, in France, Emilia Pérez dominated the César Awards, winning seven trophies, including Best Film and Best Director for Audiard.
Unlike in Hollywood, the backlash had little impact on its success, highlighting differences in how the French and American industries handle scandal and cancel culture, as per the outlet.
Netflix’s Oscar strategy, centering its campaign around Gascón, ultimately backfired, while in France, Audiard’s reputation as a celebrated auteur carried the film to victory.